ranchero
Diego Sepúlveda, is the oldest building in the city. Prior to the Spanish colonization of the Americas and the arrival of European settlers from
Mexico, the Yucaipa Valley was known as ''Yukaipa't'', which meant "green valley" in the Serrano American Language. The land was home to the Serrano Native Americans for thousands of years. Today, some of their descendants are enrolled in the
San Manuel Band of Mission Indians.
Yucaipa Rancheria Yucaipa Valley supported a large population of Serrano Native Americans. The fertile valley was watered by springs and creeks running out of the
San Bernardino Mountains. The Serrano Americans lived in this location most of the year, but would make excursions into the mountains to gather acorns and other food items during their harvest season. The Rancheria is marked by
California Historical Landmark #620.
Yucaipa Adobe Near the Rancheria is the Yucaipa Adobe, which is believed to be the oldest house in San Bernardino County. Diego Sepúlveda, nephew of
Antonio María Lugo, built the Adobe in 1842 on land that was part of the
Rancho San Bernardino granted in 1842 to the Lugos. It had formerly been land controlled by
San Gabriel Mission. The Rancho suffered losses of cattle and horses from raids by Native Americans coming through
Cajon Pass and
Banning Pass from the deserts. Eventually, they sold the Rancho to Mormon settlers in September 1851. The Adobe's later owners included John Brown Sr., James W. Waters, and the Dunlap family; it was acquired by San Bernardino County in 1955. The site is marked by California Historical Landmark #528. In 2016, Yucaipa broke ground on a multipurpose performing arts center on the corner of Acacia Avenue and California Street. Sitting on in the heart of uptown, the venue hosts a variety of events, including community theater, open-air concerts, dance, and other arts-related events. The performing arts center officially opened in Spring 2019. ==Geography==